Daily Report

The Pentagon's top weapons tester found that the RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 30 remotely piloted aircraft is "not operationally effective" for conducting the near-continuous, persistent overhead imagery collection and electronic eavesdropping that the Air Force requires. In a May report chronicling the results of tests conducted last fall, the director of operational test and evaluation highlighted technical performance deficiencies and air vehicle reliability issues that limited the aircraft's effective-time-on-station coverage to less than half of what the Air Force wants for this new variant of the combat-proven Global Hawk. Manufacturer Northrop Grumman, in a document issued to staffers on Capitol Hill, said the DOTE report represents "a snapshot in time" from late last year. Since then, the Air Force has already implemented most of the corrective actions, which have resulted in better performance as demonstrated during the aircraft's recent use over Japan and Libya, according to the company. Further, the Air Force is expected to formally approve the Block 30 configuration for operations this summer, said Northrop. (DOTE report; caution, large-sized file.) (See also Bloomberg report and Flightglobal report.)

Fourteen mobility airmen from active duty and Reserve ranks teamed to fly a C-5M Super Galaxy transport on a direct, non-stop mission from Dover AFB, Del., to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. The June 5-6 flight was more than 15 hours in...

Airmen and officials at Offutt AFB, Neb., vigorously prepared to ensure floodwaters on the rising Missouri River would not disrupt critical base operations. “As with all operations, planning is the key,” stated Col. Michael Allshouse, 55th Mission Support Group commander....

The measures that the Air Force leadership has instituted since 2008 to reinvigorate the service's nuclear enterprise "have been effective in correcting many of the deficiencies" and "in rebuilding the [nuclear] culture," reported the Defense Science Board's permanent task force on nuclear weapons surety following an independent assessment. "After extensive discussions and observing operations and logistics, the task force believes the Air Force leadership can have high confidence that, with few exceptions, the operating and direct support forces understand their mission and the demands of their mission, and are a professional, disciplined, and committed force," reads the task force's report, dated April. However, challenges remain. Among them, "urgent attention" is required to replace the service's 40-year-old-plus warhead and missile maintenance support and test equipment. Further, the leadership should refocus the rigorous nuclear inspection regime "on areas of continuing concern rather than serving as a substitute for chain-of-command leadership and management," states the report. (DSB full report; caution, large-sized file.)

The Senate Armed Services Committee is scheduled to mark up the Senate’s version of the Fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill this week in closed sessions. Members will begin the process on Tuesday when the subcommittees on airland, strategic forces, seapower,...

Members of the Alaska Air National Guard’s 212th Rescue Squadron at Camp Denali are credited with saving 107 lives during an eight-month deployment to Afghanistan. “Just about everybody in the unit had the chance to deploy, and they represented the...

Nearly 100 airmen joined NATO allies for exercise Northern Viking at the former Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland. An Air Force Reserve Command KC-135 from the 459th Air Refueling Wing at JB Andrews, Md., accompanied F-16s from the Wisconsin...

The 27th Special Operations Wing at Cannon AFB, N.M., showcased its fleet of unique aircraft, providing an intimate look at the specialized unit at its second annual capabilities exercise. Simulating a strike and capture in denied-access territory, the scenario played...

Maintainers at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., finished painting the first of nine Minuteman III ICBM payload transporters with the names of cities and counties surrounding the base. Honoring the base’s host city, the 341st Maintenance Group christened the first of the...

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Union Balloon Corps on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., by re-enacting, in part, the balloon demonstration that Thaddeus Lowe gave President Lincoln there...